Evaluation of the incorporation of waste generated from titanium dioxide manufacturing in red ceramics

Rotary-vacuum-filter mud (RVFM) is waste generated during the manufacturing process of titanium dioxide. In this work, RVFM and ceramic bricks containing different ratios of this waste are investigated. The mud samples were characterized using thermal analysis (TG/DTG). The aim of the present work was to determine the effect of adding RVFM on the ceramic properties of clay, such as apparent porosity, water absorption, linear shrinkage and flexural strength, used to produce red ceramics (bricks and roofing tiles). Samples were dried out at 110°C and fired at 800°C, 950°C and 1100°C. The addition of RVFM tends to increase the apparent porosity and water absorption and to decrease the flexural strength of the ceramic specimens. Based on the results, ceramic specimens with 20% RVFM content that are burned at 800ºC can not be used as bricks, and ceramic specimens with 20% RVFM content that are fired at 800ºC and 950°C can not used as roofing tiles, according to Brazilian standards

Long-term effects of psychotherapy on moderate depression: a comparative study of narrative therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy

Background: In a previous clinical controlled trial (Lopes et al., 2014), narrative therapy (NT) showed promising results in ameliorating depressive symptoms with comparable outcomes to cognitivebehavioral therapy (CBT) when patients completed treatment. This paper aims to assess depressive symptoms and interpersonal problems in this clinical sample at follow-up. Methods: Using the Beck Depression Inventory-II and Outcome Questionnaire-45.2 Interpersonal Relations Scale, naturalistic prospective follow-up assessment was conducted at 21 and 31 months after the last treatment session. Results: At follow-up, patients kept improving in terms of depressive symptoms and interpersonal problems. The odds that a patient maintained recovery from depressive symptoms at follow-up were five times higher than the odds that a patient maintained recovery from interpersonal problems. In the same way, the odds of a patient never recovering from interpersonal problems were five times higher than the odds of never recovering from depressive symptoms. Limitations: The study did not control for the natural course of depression or treatment continuation. Conclusions: For depressed patients with greater interpersonal disabilities, longer treatment plans and alternative continuation treatments should be considered.The Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) supported this article through the Research Project "Ambivalence and Unsuccessful Psychotherapy" [PTDC/PSI-PCL/121525/2010], coordinated by M. Goncalves, and through a doctoral grant to R. Lopes [SFRH/BD/47343/2008].The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript

Incorporating a fresh mixed annual ryegrass and berseem clover forage into the winter diet of dairy cows resulted in reduced milk yield, but reduced nitrogen excretion and reduced methane yield

The winter diet of dairy cows in Mediterranean climate regions is usually a total mixed ration with a base of conserved summer crops such as corn silage and alfalfa hay. However, there is increased labor and financial cost related to this kind of feeding, which could be reduced if fresh forages were used in place of some of the conserved forage in the cow diet. The objective of our study was to evaluate the effect of including fresh mixed annual ryegrass and berseem clover into the diet of dairy cows on milk, nitrogen utilization, and methane emission. Twenty-four lactating dairy cows were split into two groups and offered either a diet similar to that usually offered to the cows (CON) or one where a mixture of fresh annual ryegrass and berseem clover was used to partially substitute the corn silage and alfalfa hay in the diet (MIX). Milk yield was recorded automatically, and methane emissions were estimated using the SF6 tracer technique. The MIX diet had lower crude protein concentration (148 vs. 170 g/kg DM) but higher DM digestibility (81.6 vs. 78.6%) than the CON diet. Compared to the cows offered the CON diet, milk yield was reduced when cows were fed the MIX diet (36.4 vs. 31.9 kg/d), but methane emissions (381 vs. 332 g/d) and nitrogen excretion were also reduced (238 vs. 180 g/d). Nitrogen use efficiency was unaffected (30.8%). In addition, milk from cows fed the MIX diet had a fatty acid profile considered to be more beneficial to human health than that of the milk from cows fed the CON diet. Increasing the protein concentration in the MIX diet, either by direct supplementation or increasing the proportion of legume in the mixed herbage, could overcome the reduction on milk and positively affect methane emission and N use efficiency

Efficiency and response of conilon coffee genotypes to nitrogen supply

The objective of the study was to differentiate genotypes with higher efficiency and responsiveness to nitrogen supply, to understand how the nitrogen supply can impact the dry matter allocation and the accumulation of this nutrient in the different plant compartments of genotypes of conilon coffee, cultivated under contrasting conditions of nitrogen availability in the soil. The plants were cultivated during 150 days in pots containing 10 kg of soil, in greenhouse. The experiment was set up in a 13×2 factorial scheme, following a completely randomized design (CRD) with three replications. The factors were: 13 genotypes and two levels of nitrogen fertilization (0 and 100% of the N recommended level). The N supply increased between 70 and 210% of the total dry matter and between 360 and 680% of the concentration of N content in leaves of the genotypes of conilon coffee. It was possible to observe that the expression of the genotypes was modulated by the availability of N in the soil, since they presented different behaviors in the studied environments (with 0 or 100% of N supply in the soil). The genotypes CV-03, CV-07 and CV-08 were classified as non-efficient and non-responsive, while the genotypes CV- 01, CV-04 and CV-09 of conilon coffee were classified as efficient and responsive.Keywords: Alpha parameter, Coffea canephora (Pierre ex A. Froehner), mineral nutritio

Auto-Disinfectant Acrylic Paints Functionalised with Triclosan and Isoborneol - Antibacterial Assessment

This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Polymeric FilmsEnvironmental surface contamination with microorganisms is a serious concern worldwide. Triclosan and isoborneol present good antimicrobial activity. Their immobilisation to paint substrates allows for development of a material that stays effective over a longer time. In this work, we disclosed the preliminary studies to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of the active molecule after being functionalised with isocyanates for further immobilisation on the paint substrate. Overall, the newly developed non-release antimicrobial coating provides an effective way of preventing the spread of diseases and has been proven to inhibit bacterial growth and with a considerable antimicrobial activity towards S. aureus, E. coli, and K. variicola at the tested concentrations.This research was funded by Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalização–COMPETE2020/FEDER, towards the project B-Safecoat (POCI-01-0247-FEDER-017875), and by FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia) through the PhD grant attributed to MMQ (SFRH/BD/130203/2017).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Self-Disinfecting Paints with the Natural Antimicrobial Substances: Colophony and Curcumin

This article belongs to the Special Issue Nature Inspired Antibiotic Adjuvants to Face the Problem of Multidrug Resistance and Biofilm InfectionsThe risk of infection arising from indirect sources-namely, contaminated surfaces-has been proved, particularly in healthcare facilities. In the attempt to minimize this problem, innumerable research projects involving the development of surfaces with self-disinfecting properties are being conducted. In this work, wall-paints with self-disinfecting properties were developed with the scope of being applied in environments prone to contamination, such as those at healthcare settings. Our approach was to develop new paint formulations containing two natural plant-based products with known antimicrobial activity-colophony (CLF) and curcumin (CUR). The natural substances were separately incorporated on a commercial paint and their antibacterial activity was evaluated with several bacterial species following ISO 22196. To assess the paints' safety, cytotoxicity tests were performed on HaCaT and A549 cell lines, using tests on extracts and direct contact tests, as suggested by the standardized protocol ISO 10993. In general, both paints containing CLF and CUR were able to reduce the bacterial growth after 24 h, compared with the control, the commercial unmodified paint. Colophony was even able to reduce the number of culturable bacteria by over 2 log for Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Bacillus cereus. Regarding the cytotoxicity tests performed (WST-1, NRU, and LDH), both formulations revealed promising results regardless of the methodology used.This research was funded by Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionaliza‐ ção-COMPETE2020/FEDER, towards the project B‐Safecoat (POCI‐01‐0247‐FEDER‐017875), and by FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia) through the PhD grant awarded to M.M.Q. (SFRH/BD/130203/2017).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Development and In Vitro Validation of Antibacterial Paints Containing Chloroxylenol and Terpineol

This article belongs to the Section Toxicology.The establishment of self-disinfecting surfaces is an important method to avoid surface contamination. Recently, paints with antimicrobial properties have been developed to be applied on different surfaces, avoiding contamination with pathogens. In this work, self-disinfecting paints containing Chloroxylenol (CLX), Terpineol (TRP), and a mixture of both substances were developed. The goal was to evaluate and validate these paints using international standards for eventual commercialization and application in scenarios where surface contamination represents a problem. The paints were challenged with five different bacteria, Gram-positive and Gram- negative, before and after a scrub resistance test, where the long-term efficacy of the paints was evaluated. The antibacterial activity assessment was performed following ISO 22196 and JIS Z2801. In general, the paints showed very promising results, demonstrating their antibacterial activity, before and after scrub resistance test. The paint incorporating the mixture of CLX and TRP (CLX+TRP) stood out by revealing consistent results of antibacterial activity both before and after the scrub resistance test for most of the tested bacteria. The cytotoxicity of the developed paints was assessed in vitro by performing tests by direct contact with a human skin cell line, HaCaT, and testes on extracts with HaCaT and a pulmonary cell line, A549. The methodologies for cytotoxicity assessment were developed based in ISO 10993. For genotoxicity assessment, alkaline comet assay was conducted on both cell lines. The cytotoxicity assessment revealed promising results with the paints, demonstrating values of cellular viability above 70% and values of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage below 30%. The genotoxic assessment also revealed acceptable values of primary DNA damage for the developed antibacterial paints. In general, the selected methodologies presented good potential to be applied in the validation of both efficacy and safety of the antimicrobial paints, aiming to be applied in real scenarios.This research was funded by Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionaliza ção—COMPETE2020/FEDER, towards the project B-Safecoat (POCI-01-0247-FEDER-017875), and by FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia) through the PhD grant awarded to M.M.Q. (SFRH/BD/130203/2017)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

CONTRIBUIÇÕES DO PIBID NA FORMAÇÃO DO FUTURO PROFESSOR DE EDUCAÇÃO FÍSICA ESCOLAR: UMA ANÁLISE DOCUMENTAL

The presented paper has the goal of analyzing the contributions, limits and challenges of the PIBID to the first formation of the future school physical education teacher. The paper proceeded to the bibliographical research in which 2637 published papers were analyzed, as abstracts and full scientific papers, in 31 editions of six scientific events about school physical education in Brazil. From the total of paper published in those event annals, 257 of them were related to the PIBID. In order to analyze the data, the content analysis method was applied. The results presented indicate that the PIBID has enabled relevant experiences to the formation of the future teacher. Among the contributions are the contraposition of the dichotomy model of formation, the presence of innovative experiences resulted from the redetermination of teaching practices, new reflections and discussions about the current problems, meaningful learning, collective and participative construction in the school environment.Este artículo tiene como objetivo analizar las contribuciones, los límites y los desafíos de PIBID para la formación inicial del futuro maestro de Educación Física. Desde el punto de vista metodológico, se llevó a cabo una investigación bibliográfica en la que se analizaron 2637 artículos publicados en resumen y en artículos completos en 31 ediciones de seis eventos científicos sobre educación física en Brasil. Del total de trabajos publicados en los anales de estos eventos, 257 estaban relacionados con el PIBID. Para analizar los datos, se utilizó el análisis de contenido. Los resultados presentados indican que PIBID ha proporcionado experiencias relevantes para la futura formación del profesorado. Las contribuciones incluyen el contraste del modelo dicotómico de capacitación, la presencia de experiencias innovadoras resultantes de la resignificación de las prácticas pedagógicas, nuevas reflexiones y discusiones sobre temas actuales, aprendizaje significativo, construcción colectiva y participativa en el entorno escolar.O presente trabalho tem por objetivo analisar contribuições, limites e desafios do PIBID para a formação inicial do futuro professor de Educação Física Escolar. Do ponto de vista metodológico, procedeu-se a pesquisa bibliográfica na qual foram analisados 2637 trabalhos publicados, no formato de resumo e de artigo completo, em 31 edições de seis eventos científicos sobre a Educação Física Escolar no Brasil. Do total de trabalhos publicados nos anais desses eventos, 257 estavam relacionados ao PIBID. Para analisar os dados foi utilizada a análise de conteúdo. Os resultados apresentados indicam que o PIBID tem proporcionado experiências relevantes para a formação do futuro docente. Entre as contribuições estão a contraposição do modelo de formação dicotômica, a presença de experiências inovadoras resultantes da ressignificação das práticas pedagógicas, novas reflexões e discussões entorno de problemáticas atuais, aprendizagem significativa, construção coletiva e participativa no ambiente escolar

CONTRIBUIÇÕES DO PIBID NA FORMAÇÃO DO FUTURO PROFESSOR DE EDUCAÇÃO FÍSICA ESCOLAR: UMA ANÁLISE DOCUMENTAL

The presented paper has the goal of analyzing the contributions, limits and challenges of the PIBID to the first formation of the future school physical education teacher. The paper proceeded to the bibliographical research in which 2637 published papers were analyzed, as abstracts and full scientific papers, in 31 editions of six scientific events about school physical education in Brazil. From the total of paper published in those event annals, 257 of them were related to the PIBID. In order to analyze the data, the content analysis method was applied. The results presented indicate that the PIBID has enabled relevant experiences to the formation of the future teacher. Among the contributions are the contraposition of the dichotomy model of formation, the presence of innovative experiences resulted from the redetermination of teaching practices, new reflections and discussions about the current problems, meaningful learning, collective and participative construction in the school environment.Este artículo tiene como objetivo analizar las contribuciones, los límites y los desafíos de PIBID para la formación inicial del futuro maestro de Educación Física. Desde el punto de vista metodológico, se llevó a cabo una investigación bibliográfica en la que se analizaron 2637 artículos publicados en resumen y en artículos completos en 31 ediciones de seis eventos científicos sobre educación física en Brasil. Del total de trabajos publicados en los anales de estos eventos, 257 estaban relacionados con el PIBID. Para analizar los datos, se utilizó el análisis de contenido. Los resultados presentados indican que PIBID ha proporcionado experiencias relevantes para la futura formación del profesorado. Las contribuciones incluyen el contraste del modelo dicotómico de capacitación, la presencia de experiencias innovadoras resultantes de la resignificación de las prácticas pedagógicas, nuevas reflexiones y discusiones sobre temas actuales, aprendizaje significativo, construcción colectiva y participativa en el entorno escolar.O presente trabalho tem por objetivo analisar contribuições, limites e desafios do PIBID para a formação inicial do futuro professor de Educação Física Escolar. Do ponto de vista metodológico, procedeu-se a pesquisa bibliográfica na qual foram analisados 2637 trabalhos publicados, no formato de resumo e de artigo completo, em 31 edições de seis eventos científicos sobre a Educação Física Escolar no Brasil. Do total de trabalhos publicados nos anais desses eventos, 257 estavam relacionados ao PIBID. Para analisar os dados foi utilizada a análise de conteúdo. Os resultados apresentados indicam que o PIBID tem proporcionado experiências relevantes para a formação do futuro docente. Entre as contribuições estão a contraposição do modelo de formação dicotômica, a presença de experiências inovadoras resultantes da ressignificação das práticas pedagógicas, novas reflexões e discussões entorno de problemáticas atuais, aprendizagem significativa, construção coletiva e participativa no ambiente escolar